Today I have a few useful things for you. Most importantly, we send our thoughts and prayers to the folks in Texas, who are having a really rough 4 days with Hurricane Harvey, Category 4 winds and 24”-30” of rain. On a smaller scale, here in New Jersey we’ve been there and done that, and it’s not fun at all. We sincerely wish you the best.

On another note, Dream Homes (DREM) just released 2nd quarter 2017 financials so we discuss some of the high points and invite you to learn more about us online. We introduce a new member of the Dream Team, Theresa Nichols, who has joined us as a Project Coordinator to improve our construction speed and client services. We review our August 16th seminar and remind you about our next Rebuilding Seminar which is Wednesday, October 11th, live at Tuscan Bistro and streamed on the internet on Facebook Live. We talk about the Toms River Home Show on October 28 & 29th at the Pine Belt Arena in Toms River, where we’ll be exhibiting.

For our construction focus for today, we discuss siding & finish options for elevation projects or new homes that are 9 feet off the ground. We again discuss our topic about change orders for your projects and the inherent delays.

Finally, we again mention our new Dream Homes Jersey Proud Design Center at 2109 Bridge Avenue in Point Pleasant, where you can see modular home plans, kitchens, baths, flooring and tons of fixtures. You’re invited to visit us and see what we have – hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 – 2, closed on Tuesday, with other hours by appointment.

Dream Homes – who we are: As you may know, Dream Homes & Development Corp. (OTCOB: Ticker DREM) is a publicly traded, fully reporting (audited) company, and we’ve just released our 2nd quarter financials. I’m proud to report that sales, earnings and contracts have all increased significantly. Dream is growing, improving our operations and service and adding new members to our team to better serve you. You can view financials on our web site at www.dreamhomesltd.com. Click on the SEC tab at the bottom of the page for information.

Dream Homes has a main office in Forked River and a Modular Design Center in Point Pleasant, and we’re the only public company doing home elevation work in New Jersey. You can view all the information about us online – if you like us and believe in what we’re doing, we would love to have you as shareholders. For more information and an information package, contact Matt Chipman, our investor relations person. Matt can be reached at (818) 923-5302, (310) 709-5646 or matt@GreenChipIR.com. You can view our operational results and financials at any time on our website at www.dreamhomesltd.com or at www.sec.gov.

Welcome to our new Project Coordinator, Theresa Nichols: We’ve recently created a new position at Dream and brought Theresa Nichols in to help coordinate communication between our clients and our construction team. Theresa was with Dream a few years ago, brings a wealth of experience to the Dream Team and we’re delighted to have her back. Theresa was formerly a regional manager for Bed, Bath & Beyond and supervised over 30 locations throughout New Jersey. She’s now bringing her skills and positive personality to better coordinate construction scheduling and client contact during projects. As a client of Dream Homes, you’ll deal with Theresa directly while your project is under construction. Welcome back Theresa!

Siding, Trim and other Exterior Finishes: Siding and exterior finishes are a very important part of any construction project, and with elevated homes (whether new or renovation) there are a greater number of options than with many normal construction projects.

When a home is elevated, or a new home is built that is 6, 7, 8 or 9 feet from the ground, you have many options for siding and finishes.

With existing elevated homes, if siding is not replaced and there is no wall or surround being built on the lower level, it is a good idea to consider Azek or other style of trim board at the bottom of the siding to finish it, as well as to serve as a visual break between the existing siding and the new lower level. Trim board, which is usually white, comes in 4”, 6”, 8”, 10”, 12” and 16” widths and the most common widths are 6” & 8”. Though it is primarily an aesthetic choice, choosing the correct width has much to do with the size of the house and the elevation from grade. A single-story house that is elevated 5’ from grade, might use a 4” or 6” trim board, while with a 2-story house elevated 9’ from grade, an 8” or 10” wide trim would look more appropriate.

When homes are elevated to a full 9’ from grade, often a “skirt wall” is built around the lower level, to create an enclosed “basement”. Commonly it is pressure treated lumber with a cement board exterior. Cement board comes in many colors, though tan, grey & white are common choices.

From a design standpoint, you do not have to try and match the existing siding on the house, but instead can choose a complimentary or even contrasting color. One common theme is to choose a darker color on the lower level, install a white trim board between the lower and upper levels, and then choose (or complement existing) lighter color siding. Another method is the exact opposite, with a lighter shade for the lower level, and a darker color above. Colors can be in the same family, with different shades, or contrasting. If contrasting colors are used, it is a good idea to try and introduce one of the colors in another place, such as shutters, doors or roofing.

Though standard 4”, 5” or 6” horizontal vinyl siding (which comes in numerous colors) is common throughout the shore, an option for the front or select areas, is Cedar Impressions or other brands of architectural siding. This siding comes in numerous patterns and colors and is thicker and more solid than regular vinyl siding, which creates much more definition. However, it is 3-4 times as expensive as regular siding, so commonly it is used on the front of the house or in select places (such as in front of a gable roof) as an accent. Again, colors can match the siding on the rest of the house, or be a shade or 2 off, to create a more noticeable accent to your existing design.

An important point to remember is that since these choices are aesthetic (and not structural, mechanical or required by code), they are dependent solely on your taste. There is no definitive right or wrong choice. At the end of the day, you must enjoy your choice on the outside of your house and be comfortable with it, so choose something that will please you every day when you come home.

August 16th Dream Homes Rebuilding Seminar – Review and commentary: On Wednesday, August 16th, we held our summer Rebuilding Seminar and (as always) it was a great success. Our speakers were excellent and offered a ton of information on numerous topics, from elevations to project scope to options for rebuilding with stick construction or modular. Thanks to all our speakers as well as those of you who joined us live or watched us on Facebook Live. If you missed the seminar, you can view it on our Facebook page, here on the blog or on YouTube. If you couldn’t attend in person or online, details about our October seminar are in the next paragraph.

Nearly Famous Rebuilding Seminar –Wednesday October 11th, 2017 – See us in person and or watch us on Facebook Live!

Our next Rebuilding Seminar will be held Wednesday October 11th, 2017 from 6 pm at the Tuscan Bar and Grill on Hooper Avenue in Toms River, across from the Ocean County Mall. We’ll be joined by Kathleen Dotoli, Esquire, Jason Devooght (Devooght House Lifters) and one of our architects or engineers. We’ll also be streaming it on Facebook Live and be online if you want to email questions or comments while the seminar is under way. We had over 50 people join us on Facebook at the last seminar and were able to take questions from people who couldn’t make it to the seminar, which was an excellent addition to our program.

If you are planning a project, whether a new home, elevation or renovation, and you haven’t already attended one of our seminars, make sure you attend for helpful information from our excellent speakers. It will help you get started on the right track. We focus on homeowners that are early in the rebuilding process, and haven’t completed design work, or chosen a builder or architect.

We’ll talk about architectural and engineering planning, construction technique, RREM guidance, help with choosing the right builder and consumer safety cautions when dealing with him (or her), financing your project, comments and tips about home elevation in general. We also talk about RREM issues, (the lunacy of) managing your own project, and ways to avoid delays and going over budget. So, mark the date and call 609 693 8881 or 732 300 5619 to reserve your space if you want to attend. Refreshments will be served and space is limited.

Repeat – Partial – Change Orders & Additions to your Scope (Chaos Systems deleted): Once again we’ll talk about change orders and the resulting inevitable delays. We skip the part about Chaos Systems, which you can go back and review in the 8/11/17 blog.

First, it’s common when renovating or even building a new home, to want to add items or make changes to what’s already been decided. It’s sometimes impossible (especially with elevations and renovations) to visualize exactly what your home will look like in 3 dimensions from a plan and as your project progresses, it’s natural to want to tinker with the scope of work.

There is nothing at all wrong with making changes or additions while under construction. I mention this point because many builders will not accept change orders once a project has begun. Many charge per change order.

Every step in a construction project is subject to many random variables. These include tool and equipment breakdown, delay in supplies being delivered, sickness and other tragedy, and township inspection or review delays, among many other factors. However, the single most common reason for delay in any project is changes made during the process.

Changes cost money and inevitably cause delays. The cost portion is easily understood but the delay aspect is something many homeowners don’t realize when they make changes. Changing a single item in a residential project usually affects 3-5 other items which may not be immediately evident. An average change, depending on complexity, will add a week or more to a schedule. Structural and mechanical changes may add a month.

Adding a door requires a new header of the door, a new switch and exterior light, possibly new stairs to the ground and a concrete or paver pad outside the door.

Installing 5 more outlets in a basement requires a permit update, a new breaker in the electrical panel, a new electrical schematic for the township and a site survey to determine possible conflict with other mechanical or structural components.

Deciding to add 3 courses of block to a foundation requires a new plot plan, a new engineering plan and submission of both, sheetrock under the floor, additional lights and an additional smoke detector (with electrical plan update) and a larger door to the crawl/basement.

You get the idea.

Suffice to say that all changes in your project will affect other items and will cause delay.

Again, there’s nothing wrong with changes if you understand that delays to the overall project are an inherent part of the process.

These are some thoughts to consider when thinking of adding to your project.

Decks, more decks and railing…Decks are one of the more popular improvements and one of the easiest ways to add value to your home. Decks fall into 3 main categories – pressure treated, composite and fiberglass. Railings can be pressure treated, vinyl rail or glass.

Permit fees, Design & Hiring Your Own Architect: Generally, permit fees are paid by the homeowner, since they can’t usually be determined at the start of a project. Design & architectural fees are usually itemized separately and are (for us) a pass-through cost. In other words, we oversee the entire design process and it costs our clients the same (usually much less) amount of money than if the homeowner deals with the architect directly. This also results in significant savings in both construction design and redesign fees. Remember – the personwho is going to build theproject should be involved in the design from inception, so practical best practices can be designed in from the start.

New Beach Bungalow on your lot from $89,800!! See last 2 blogs for more detail. Note: This model is perfect for many small lots in the shore area including Ocean Beach, Lavallette, Ortley and South Seaside Park.

Most general contractors and builders are unwilling to provide turn-key elevation/renovation projects. It’s messy, requires diverse skill sets and deep administrative support and places all responsibility for everything directly on the builder’s shoulders. Dream Homes regularly perform turn-key renovation and design build projects and will remain as one of the best, solid companies in the years to come.

Why does this matter to you? If a company isn’t committed to being in the line of work for which you are contracting, they will not support it correctly during and after the project. That means less resources (personnel and otherwise) devoted to your project. Currently at Dream Homes, we’ve been actively hiring carpenters, helpers, marketing and support staff for 2 years. We’re committed to the elevation /renovation business and improve every single day – our commitment to provide additional, better resources to our clients is ongoing.

Moral of the story: Try and avoid working with any company not committed to the type of project you are undertaking. Ask to see current projects in process or being started.

Need to Phone a Friend? Need a Rescue? 2017 Scheduling & Priority projects – If you’re stuck in a stalled project for whatever reason (contractor in jail or indicted, bankrupt, lazy, inept, no money, etc.) we’ll help you with a prompt evaluation of your situation. We do consultation and estimates immediately for projects that are stuck. It doesn’t change what happened to you in the past, but at least you’ll know how to get back on track, without chasing someone for a month to get an initial meeting and written estimate. As a note, often we’re the only company willing to finish projects that have been abandoned.

New Dream Homes Modular Division – Design, Kitchen & Bath Studio –

Come see our Dream Homes Jersey Proud Custom Modular design studio at 2109 Bridge Avenue in Point, with complete kitchen, flooring & modular home design studio. See Lou Obsuth, who has a wealth of experience in modular construction as well as kitchen and bath design.

Kathleen M. Dotoli, Esquire – Consumer Protection: Kathleen is a workers’ compensation and disability attorney in Toms River and speaks regularly at our Rebuilding Seminar. Kathy gives an excellent presentation about consumer protection that will save you money and grief. (Next one is Wednesday, October 11th, 2017). Email Kathy at kmdotoli611@aol.com or call her office at 732 228 7534 for a copy of her seminar presentation.

Mission Statement and Comment: At Dream Homes, we’ll help you when no one else will. We regularly handle messy and unpleasant real estate, construction and renovation situations. We do the projects that few other people can do, and help people finish and get back in their homes. If you’re stuck and can’t figure out how to proceed, call us and we’ll do our best to help you.

At Dream Homes, we believe that taking on difficult unpopular projects is part of the social contract we have with the community and the Jersey Shore. We’ve never abandoned a client or failed to finish a project – we feel very strongly that it is our obligation to help Sandsters and others in need.

Remember – if you have a specific question, send me an email or a text. Don’t wait for a seminar or a site visit to clarify a point. Whether you are a Dream Homes client or not, I’ll always try and help you or guide you in the right direction. If you’ve sent an email or left a voice mail and haven’t received a response, try and contact me again. Messages are lost occasionally.

Note to Sandsters: Though I write this blog and hold the seminars to help guide homeowners through the maze that is any reconstruction project, Dream Homes does what I write about. Dream Homes & Development Corp. and Dream Building LLC are new home builders and general contractors who are actively renovating and reconstructing projects up and down the shore. We supervise and manage elevation projects & house moves, demolish and build new homes, and develop and build entire new neighborhoods. In the past 23 years, we’ve completed over 1500 new homes, 190 elevation projects and 500,000 square feet of commercial buildings. 28 of our elevation projects have been rescue projects, where we came in to save a homeowner when someone else left. Dream builds new homes, demolishes existing damaged homes, elevates and move homes, complete additions and renovations and rescues homeowners when their other contractors abandon them. We work with private clients as well as Path B clients in the RREM program. Call, text or email to set up an appointment for a free estimate on your rebuilding project.

That’s all for today Sandsters. I hope my words helps you move forward. As always, call or write with any questions.